Robert L. Easton 1928

Cullum No. 8308 • Nov 19, 1960 • Died in Maxwell AFB

Interred in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

Robert Loyal Easton, born to Ana and Thompson Easton, July 24th, 1904, Shoreham, Vermont. He attended local high and grade schools Shoreham, Vermont. He attended Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont before he received his appointment to West Point in 1924.

He graduated from the Academy, Class of 1928.

Bob Easton as he was affectionately known to all his friends, was a quiet reserved person with a great sense of humor and dry wit. He was a student and his hobby was reading.

He attended all available schools throughout his career in the Service. His first assignment as a 2nd Lieutenant was with the Field Artillery, at Fort Hoyle, Maryland.

He later transferred to the Army Air Corps and attended flying schools, at San Antonio. His first assignment with the Army Air Corps, was with the 3rd Attack Group, Galveston, Texas where he met and married Carolyn Marie La Corne, in June, 1931. In 1938 he attended California Institute of Technology, and received a Masters Degree in Science.

He spent 3 years as a flying instructor at Randolph Field, Texas. He served in Hawaii, Panama and Ecuador, South America. He was decorated with the Ecuadorian Wings and the Abdon Calderon, one of the highest awards of that country.

His tours of duty took him to many parts of the United States as well as foreign countries. His last assignment before he retired in 1958 was with ConAc, Mitchel Air Force Base, New York. He served there as Deputy for personnel for four years, the longest assignment of his career.

In 1958 he retired with 30 years of continuous active service. After an extended trip to Europe, he and his wife proceeded to Montgomery, Alabama, where they made their home.

General Easton for the past two years was affiliated with Starke Military University School, at Montgomery, Alabama. He headed the Science Department.

Bob Easton, was admired, respected and loved by all who knew him.

The following sums up his qualities as a man. It was written by one of his students at the Starke School and published in a local newspaper.

“Tilings at Starke University School won’t be the same again for our beloved science teacher, General Easton has passed away. To the students at Starke, he was no ordinary man. He was a man to be looked up to, to be respected, to be proud of. There will always be a place for him in the hearts of all the students and teachers at Starke.

“General Easton had the ability to make his classes interesting and fun because of his methods of teaching. His personal experiences in military life provided him with many stories to enliven his classes. This man rarely lost his temper and when he did he regained it quickly. He never caused a student to get very mad at him as some teachers do.

“Everything he did was done fairly. He never punished any student unless it was really deserved. It wasn't often that a student was punished by him without a word of warning.

“It will be almost impossible to replace him. Yes, those at Starke will miss General Robert Loyal Easton.”

General Easton died at Maxwell Air Force Base Hospital, Alabama on November 19th, 1960. He was 56 years old. He had a heart-attack (Coronary Thrombosis).

Memorial Service was held at Maxwell Air Force Base, and he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, with full military honors. He had served his Country well and now rests in Peace. He will be missed by all who knew him and loved him, but he shall never be forgotten.

—C.M.E., His wife

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